HOUSTON BUSINESS REVIEW

THE CPA CORNER: Business and National Security…
By C. Kevin Moore

Kevin Moore is a Principal of C. Kevin Moore & Associates and has two decades of experience as a Certified Public Accountant. Each week he provides the information you need to grow and protect your business.

Since 2001 and the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon our business community has been involved in developing ways to address how the private sector could help strengthen security for their employees, facilities and communities.

The business community has important roles and responsibilities in homeland security because more that 85 percent of the nation's critical infrastructure - the power grid, financial services, information services, railroads, airlines and others - is owned or operated by the private sector.

The business community believes that the most effective way to address our nation's homeland security risks is through collaboration with federal, state and local governments. The best solutions will come not from regulation, but will flow from government policies that encourage greater business participation and that favor collaborative, flexible and focused private-sector initiatives.

Business-government partnerships can have the greatest impact on the security of our homeland and our economy by focusing on several key priorities. Consider some of these points… and your business and ask… How can I help?

The Business Roundtable has developed and implemented CEO COM LINKSM, a secure telephone communications system to connect businesses and government for the exchange of timely information in the event of a terrorist threat or a crisis.

Hardening the Internet - The first priority is to "harden" the Internet by working toward safe, secure and survivable communications by securing cyberspace against attack and taking steps to ensure that essential online business functions are safeguarded.

Supply Chain and Port Security - A robust supply chain is crucial to our nation's economic resilience. Government and business must focus more on improving security at points of entry for goods and materials and on developing sound security investment policies to maximize finite financial resources.

Employment, Identity Documentation and Immigration - It is imperative to find new ways to thwart terrorists who try to obtain visas and other legal documents, without undermining lawful employment of non-U.S. workers who contribute so much to our economy. Consider new ideas on employer-employee relations in this new area of terrorism concerns. Working in partnership on these and other priorities, businesses and government can help make our companies, our country and, ultimately, our world, more secure.